Transcendence - 3
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Let me share some pearls of wisdom from a book.
Transcendence
My Spiritual Experiences with Pramukh Swamiji
by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
with Arun Tiwari.
This is not a book review.
This article is just like
'key take away points' for me.
The book is divided in 4 parts. This article covers 3rd part of the book.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Part 3 Fusion of science and spirituality
17
People who are unable to understand perfectly both scripture and science far outnumber those who do understand them perfectly. The former glancing superficially through the scriptures, could easily arrogate to themselves the authority to decide upon every question of physics on the strength of some word which they have misunderstood, and which was consciously employed by the sacred authors for some different purpose. And the smaller number of understanding men could not dam up the furious torrent of such people. These people would gain the most followers, simply because it is much more pleasant to gain a reputation for wisdom without effort or study, than to consume oneself tirelessly in the most laborious disciplines.
18
To sense that behind everything that can be experienced there is something that our minds cannot grasp, whose beauty and sublimity reaches us only indirectly: that is religiousness. In this sense… I am a devoutly religious man.
A religion is a system of symbols, which acts to establish powerful, pervasive, and long-lasting moods in men by formulating conceptions of a general order of existence and clothing those conceptions with such and aura of factuality that the moods and motivations seem uniquely realistic.
We see what we want to see!
‘Faith’ is interpreted as being similar to ‘having working hypothesis’.
It is a dangerous act of self-delusion if one attempts to get rid of an unpleasant moral obligation, by claiming the human action is the inevitable result of an inexorable law of nature.
Since we are totally connected with everything and every creature in this universe, it is most foolish for each of us to strive to better ourselves without regard to what happens to others.
20
The purpose of journey on this precious Earth is now to align our personalities with our souls. It is to create harmony, cooperation, sharing, and reverence for life. It is to grow spiritually. This is our new evolutionary pathway.
Genes do not control life. It is the environment, and more specifically, our perception of the environment that controls gene activity. In the end, it comes down to a simple case of mind over matter in controlling the fate of our lives.
There are very dark forces trying hard to manipulate us into negativity.
One can live and work in this world as an awakened professional.
This chapter 20 also sheds light on how status quo of our own inner lives harms us. We denounce wisdom of others when it does not fit into our emotional framework. We choose to agree only with opinions of others who share our personal values and feelings...In this state of ignorance, we become subservient, we are at the mercy of the popular status quo.
21
Chapter 21 is more about Baruch Spinoza a Dutch philosopher and Hindu Vedaanta philosophy.
Reality is perfection. If circumstances are seen as unfortunate, it is only because of our inadequate conception of reality. …. The world as it exists look imperfect only because of our limited perception.
22
The deep emotional conviction of the presence of a superior reasoning power, which is revealed in the incomprehensible universe, form my idea of God.
24
Where your talents and the needs of the world cross, there lies your purpose.
Transcendence
My Spiritual Experiences with Pramukh Swamiji
by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
with Arun Tiwari.
This is not a book review.
This article is just like
'key take away points' for me.
The book is divided in 4 parts. This article covers 3rd part of the book.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Part 3 Fusion of science and spirituality
17
People who are unable to understand perfectly both scripture and science far outnumber those who do understand them perfectly. The former glancing superficially through the scriptures, could easily arrogate to themselves the authority to decide upon every question of physics on the strength of some word which they have misunderstood, and which was consciously employed by the sacred authors for some different purpose. And the smaller number of understanding men could not dam up the furious torrent of such people. These people would gain the most followers, simply because it is much more pleasant to gain a reputation for wisdom without effort or study, than to consume oneself tirelessly in the most laborious disciplines.
18
To sense that behind everything that can be experienced there is something that our minds cannot grasp, whose beauty and sublimity reaches us only indirectly: that is religiousness. In this sense… I am a devoutly religious man.
- Albert Einstein from conclusion of ‘What I Believe’ , 1930
A religion is a system of symbols, which acts to establish powerful, pervasive, and long-lasting moods in men by formulating conceptions of a general order of existence and clothing those conceptions with such and aura of factuality that the moods and motivations seem uniquely realistic.
-American anthropologist Clifford Geertz
19We see what we want to see!
‘Faith’ is interpreted as being similar to ‘having working hypothesis’.
– Max Plank
It is a dangerous act of self-delusion if one attempts to get rid of an unpleasant moral obligation, by claiming the human action is the inevitable result of an inexorable law of nature.
Since we are totally connected with everything and every creature in this universe, it is most foolish for each of us to strive to better ourselves without regard to what happens to others.
20
The purpose of journey on this precious Earth is now to align our personalities with our souls. It is to create harmony, cooperation, sharing, and reverence for life. It is to grow spiritually. This is our new evolutionary pathway.
- Gary Zukav (Spiritual author and teacher)
Genes do not control life. It is the environment, and more specifically, our perception of the environment that controls gene activity. In the end, it comes down to a simple case of mind over matter in controlling the fate of our lives.
-Bruce Harold Lipton (American developmental Biologist) from his book “The Biology of Belief”
There are very dark forces trying hard to manipulate us into negativity.
-Bruce Harold Lipton (American developmental Biologist) from his book “The Biology of Belief”
One can live and work in this world as an awakened professional.
This chapter 20 also sheds light on how status quo of our own inner lives harms us. We denounce wisdom of others when it does not fit into our emotional framework. We choose to agree only with opinions of others who share our personal values and feelings...In this state of ignorance, we become subservient, we are at the mercy of the popular status quo.
21
Chapter 21 is more about Baruch Spinoza a Dutch philosopher and Hindu Vedaanta philosophy.
Reality is perfection. If circumstances are seen as unfortunate, it is only because of our inadequate conception of reality. …. The world as it exists look imperfect only because of our limited perception.
- Baruch Spinoza a Dutch philosopher
22
The deep emotional conviction of the presence of a superior reasoning power, which is revealed in the incomprehensible universe, form my idea of God.
- Albert Einstein
In daily life, we can reliably apply spiritual action at four levels - obedience, belief, understanding and knowledge. Each individual ... favour one specific level...based on his/her relative stage of spiritual practice.
1. Obedience as a type of spiritual action, is the relationship between word and action.
2. Beliefs are conclusions that we accept about our world. Our beliefs significantly comprises our sense of reality, ....how we perceive and feel about our world. ... They predispose us to expectations about outcome. When we imbibe beliefs in goodness... it gives us our trust and faith.
3. Understanding ...the mental seeing that results from the spiritual process of understanding.....
4. Knowledge Spiritual Knowledge expands and evolves as we identify with our spiritual principles, understand them, embody them, and allow them to be infinite.
Understanding and experience can work together to form knowledge.
23
Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you cannot help them, at least do not hurt them.
- Dalai Lama
God sleeps in the minerals, awakens in plants, walks in animals and thinks in man.
- Arthur Middleton Young (Designer of first helicopter and writer)
You cannot pluck a little flower
Without the shaking of star.
- A poet
24
Where your talents and the needs of the world cross, there lies your purpose.
- Aristotle
Pre-Christian Greek philosopher and scientist
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